status is unknown for the Boxing Day fourth Test starting on December 26 Getty
The final day of Ashes cricket at the WACA has started in controversy with a wet pitch delaying the start of play as Australia aims to regain the Ashes amid the threat of rain.
Heavy rain lashed Perth overnight and ended up on the pitch leading to a delayed start on day five with Australia needed six wickets to reclaim the Ashes. England are 132 for 4 and still trail Australia by 127 runs.
Joe Root, the England captain, and coach Trevor Bayliss held a lengthy discussion with the umpires before play and seemed unhappy with the state of the pitch. Ground staff were working with large blowers to ensure the wicket returns to a playable state.
"We've been very good so far and we will hopefully finish it off." - Darren Lehmann. #Ashes
- Wide World of Sports (@wwos) December 18, 2017
"There was a bit of leakage overnight so they're doing a bit of a drying job with the blowers," umpire Marais Erasmus told BT Sport.
Bayliss said England would take directive from the umpires. "Whatever the umpires say we'll do," he told Channel Nine. "At the moment there's a few soft spots in the wicket. We're more than prepared to come out and play if we can get it as close as we can to yesterday.
"Needs a bit more wind and some sun, I'd say," he added. "It's unfortunate, really. It was going to be good day of cricket and it still may be. Darren Lehmann, the Australian coach, was hopeful of play restarting. "It looks pretty good, to be fair," he told Channel Nine.
Christina Matthews, the WACA chief executive, admitted the groundstaff had been tardy in protecting the pitch. "The hessian (covers) got wet and it's just been unbelievable late yesterday and last night, blustery, trying to get things," she told ABC radio. "I think in their efforts to try to get going they've been slightly slow in getting the hessian back on and things like that.
"But we've certainly got enough people working on it," she added. "The hard thing for us is we don't normally have these conditions so reacting to it is a little bit different to other places."
The worst of the rain is believed to have passed but there is a 40 per cent per chance of precipitation in the afternoon. Meanwhile, Mitchell Starc, Australia's spearhead, has a bruised heel but will bowl on day five. However, his status is unknown for the Boxing Day fourth Test starting on December 26.
